Team North America was the best story to come out of the World Cup of Hockey. That fact can’t be debated even though the winner of the actual tournament hasn’t been crowned. The youngsters from North America impressed and were a joy to watch. Opposing teams quickly found that keeping pace was more than a little challenging.
[link_box id=”22277″ site_id=”17″ layout=”link-box-third” alignment=”alignright”]When asked how he would slow down Team North America, Brad Marchand had the most Brad Marchand way of answering.
Brad Marchand was asked how you slow Team North America down: "I don't know, spear everyone?"
HE WAS JOKING
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) September 22, 2016
He was joking, but he’s got a point. The kids of North America regularly flew past opposing teams, making even quick players look sluggish and slow.
Marchand added a quick thought about the success of Team North America:
"They're playing to shut people up, and they have been" – Brad Marchand on Team North America.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) September 22, 2016
Here’s where Marchand is completely wrong. Team North America didn’t shut up anyone. In fact, they got people talking. Casual fans and even non-fans of the game watched Team North America simply because they’re a fascinating concept and extremely exciting to follow. The insane ending in overtime against Team Sweden had the sporting world as a whole buzzing. It takes something truly special for hockey, let alone a tournament many weren’t even anticipating, to create a reaction that strong and that positive.
Team North America may not be a permanent fixture, but they certainly should be.
